At Digital Creative Lab, we are big believers in WordPress and use it for 99% of all the websites we develop. It is amazing software that has transformed the way websites look, feel and function. WordPress is free, open-source and powers about 20% of the world’s websites including artist Jay Z, Sony Music,The New York Times.
Why do we use WordPress? Pros to using WordPress
- The self-hosted version of WordPress offers a good balance between development, usability and functionality.
- Powerful content management system (CMS) that gives end-users the control to update their site without need for a developer.
- Plugins allow WordPress to extend it’s functionality from adding a booking feature to turning your website into a fully functional e-commerce store.
- There is a huge community of WordPress users and developers ready to help if you ever need support or need to hire someone to do maintenance or support work.
- Lower total cost of ownership. Any computer literate person can find their way around the main tasks of WordPress, however it is recommended to hire an experienced WordPress person for the major version updates.
- Visit the WordPress.org site to review more of it’s features and potential.
Cons to using WordPress
Along with the good, there are some cons to using WordPress and we wanted to highlight some of these below.
- Updates: it is essential to keep your WordPress website up to date with the current versions of the software, the plugins and the theme files. Not doing so puts your site at risk for being hacked or being susceptible to malicious apps. It is recommended to take out a maintenance plan with your web developer if you do not have a dedicated person staying on top of the updates. Read more about why you should upgrade WordPress.
- Third-party code: We cannot take responsibility for other third-party code – we are unable to modify or extend WordPress, plugins or theme functionality unless it has been specifically included in the scope of the project we agree on. Modifying third-party software also increases the costs of development significantly.
- Software licenses: There are Client websites that require functionality that can only be provided by a commercially licensed plugin. This will be clearly detailed in the cost estimate for the development of your site. These licenses are generally on an annual basis and will need to be renewed by you so that you have continued access to updates and support to keep your website functioning.
Summary
We believe that WordPress is the right choice in most cases for many new websites, however it is wise to keep the pros and cons in mind when deciding what your website should run on and especially when considering using a free, open-source software for your business.